Posted on 04/07/2018 9:56:30 AM PDT by upchuck
After a century of ferrying millions of daily commuters and taking countless family road trips, simple passenger cars are disappearing from American life, and they may not come back.
Detroit's Big Three automakers Chrysler, Ford and General Motors pioneered the mass production of the car, but in just four years, all three may be known to Americans simply as truck and SUV makers, with only a stray sedan for sale.
The automotive industry in America is making what many observers think is an irrevocable shift toward pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and crossovers. While carmakers are producing sedans and sports cars that are safer, faster and more comfortable than ever, customers continue to flock to taller vehicles with features cars simply cannot offer.
"Since 2009 or 2010 it has been a truck story," said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive, which tracks the auto industry. The exception was a slight pullback in 2012, when the midsize car segment underwent a major refresh, he said.
The trend shows no sign of abating, despite cries from car enthusiasts that crossovers lack the driving dynamics of sedans and complaints from environmentalists that SUVs and trucks are typically less fuel-efficient than cars.
By 2022, LMC Automotive estimates 84 percent of the vehicles General Motors sells in the U.S. market will be some kind of truck or SUV. Ford's ratio of domestic SUV and truck sales will hit 90 percent; Fiat Chrysler's will notch a whopping 97 percent.
"We have SUVs eventually crossing the 50 percent threshold by themselves in the near future," Schuster said.
Signs suggest SUVs and crossovers are also taking hold elsewhere in the world.
Automotive executives and industry watchers think there will be only a small space for sedans in the U.S., perhaps consisting mostly of sports cars or niche vehicles favored by enthusiasts.
A few factors that drove this unprecedented shift can be attributed to gas prices, a stronger economy and big improvements in the design of sport utility vehicles, said Karl Brauer, executive publisher at Cox Automotive.
"It was really a one-two-three punch," Brauer said. "Essentially every force lined up to help SUVs, and that has been hurting car sales."
More at the link.
I have a Dodge Challenger as well.
Being 6’3” / 245, I enjoy the fact that it has lots of interior room. Had a 2014 Corvette Stingray before I got the Challenger. It was a little tight for me. LOL
If I lived in snow country, I would get the All Wheel Drive version...
No wonder there was no traffic at rush hour these last months ... just me and a few other lonely souls ...
Its a little smaller, but probably more of a mid-sized truck than a compact truck. Like an F-100.
Too bad, my original Ranger 4 cylinder got 30 mph on the highway.
“I miss the Ford Ranger. Simple, cheap and tough.”
We’ve got the last year, and it is just as you described. No problems, ultra reliable. Heck, they even upgraded to all disc brakes (something they could have avoided since production was slated to end).
We love it.
I call them egg cars and refuse to buy one. Still driving a turbocharged PT Cruiser.
I love my 4Runner
On my second one
It’s the perfect truck
I can out my whole family in and camping gear bikes and kayaks on the roof with ropes
For a work truck it’s perfect
It handles excellent
Last one had 300k and I gave it to teenagers across street
New one has 200k. And I just change the oil
Love it love it love it
Cars are just stupid when they you can have a real vehicle
I hate Priuses and am always saying “ lookout Prious !”
I like my 2006 Prius, still going strong and I can fit a sheet of plywood in it. I guess I’m driving a false flag though because I’m conservative and have been for 40 years.
I have an Avalanche. I love it. The wife has a Tahoe and loves it too. I do wish I could buy a new American car the size of a Crown Vic.
Ranger is supposed to come back soon . But bigger.
Crown Vic's and Grand Marquis are the best.
huh?
Bull. There hasnt been a car made since the 1970s that could accommodate a full 4x 8 foot sheet of plywood inside the car.
Yeah, the CAFE have forced the engineering of cars that look like scarab beetles. All of them. I remember when introduction of new cars was a treat every year. Now, who cares? You know what they’re going to look like.
My 2003 tudor is the last car I’ll ever buy, not needing the hauling capacity of an SUV. But the predominance of vision-blocking SUVs is becoming evident on the road now. Driving is something I do less and less of anyway. Now, get off my lawn!
One of the best cars ever made along with the somilar marquis. Weak link is the eatc but i know how to fix that now.
That was true in the past. But the development of the so-called Moose test Moose test has forced automakers to consider the stability of vehicles when making sudden turns, and current SUV's are actually very hard to flip on flat surfaces if their stability controls are turned on.
My parents had a fairly recent Cadillac like that. I couldn't understand why they'd buy something like that.
The real Ford Taurus was discontinued in 2007. At the time if was considered an industrial size error on the lines of New Coke or Datsun changing their name to Nissan.
A couple of years later, realizing their mistake, they reintroduced the "name" but not the car. The car they called the "Taurus" was actually a Volvo that was originally called the "Ford 500".
Originally, the first Taurus was considered revolutionary in design, manufacturing, and quality control, and helped resurrect Ford out of the doldrums.
I'm not sure what to think about Ford anymore. I can't imagine Toyota discontinuing the Camary. But if they discontinue the Taurus, well, it's just another Volvo.
I can see I’m a mere bottom feeder on this thread. We sold a 20 yr. old Camry to a jobless patriot and just bought a 2009 Honda Accord for 4K-great car cheap with 135K miles. Needs a rear brake job.
We did consider a sports utility vehicle but my husband thinks they ride rougher than a sedan for long trips.
We also have a 2000 Jeep Cherokee
a 20 year old GMC box van (no AC/heat)- rebuilt trans
and a TDI Diesel VW Passat 2006
We stay busy with auto mechanics around here...LOL
Remember the first generation of American small trucks - the Ford Courier and the Chevrolet LUV? Those were really small trucks. Of course, they were manufactured by Mazda and Isuzu and branded as a Ford and Chevrolet, respectively. IIRC, I think that Dodge had a small truck, too, manufactured by Mitsubishi.
If I could find a decent mid- or late-70s Ford Courier Sasquatch 4x4 at a price less than ridiculous, I'd buy it.
We had a 2001 Chrysler minivan that could carry a sheet of plywood with the seats out and batch closed.
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